Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Shalom,
Today was travel day, (returning from a week-long trip to Northern Virginia) so I’m late getting this out to you. My apologies, but this was unavoidable. However; I would like to make a few announcements.
- Cantor Bear will be with us this coming Friday night and Saturday morning. For personal and professional reasons, Cantor Bear has asked me not to put these two services on social media, and I plan to accommodate his request. The only way to enjoy these services will be in person. All are welcome to attend.
Special addition to #1 above… Friday night we will start at 6pm with a covered dish Shabbat dinner. Please bring something to share, but without meat (chicken or beef). Cantor Bear keeps strictly kosher and does not mix milk and meat. All milk items are kosher, but not when mixed with any meat (no chicken or beef, kosher fish is okay). After dinner Cantor Bear and I will minister through a short worship service.
- Next Monday, October 26th at 6pm, Justin Rizzo will be ministering at Shomair with a desire to impart a spirit of true worship to our body at Shomair and to the greater Knoxville area. All are welcome to attend and receive from his ministry next Monday.
Week 43
Memory Verse: Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who trusts—to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 In it the righteousness of God is revealed, from trust to trust. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by emunah.”
211 10/22 Monday: 1 Corinthians 15-16
* 212 10/23 Tuesday: 2 Corinthians 1-2
213 10/24 Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 3-4
214 10/25 Thursday: 2 Corinthians 5-6
215 10/26 Friday: 2 Corinthians 7-8
Question of the day: What stinks?
Answer: The answer depends on who is doing the smelling. 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are the aroma of Messiah to God, among those who are being saved and those who are perishing— 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. Who is competent for these things?
We believers are being offered up to God. Yeshua is described in Scripture as a sweet smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Messiah also loved us and gave Himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma. We, who follow Him, should also be like His aroma. But to those who are dying, we smell like death (because they wouldn’t know life if they smelled it).
2 Corinthians 2:16 ends with a question, “Who is competent for these things?” In other words, “Who knows the difference between life and death?” I think the question is asked here rhetorically. It’s almost more than we can bear. There, but by the grace of God, even we, ourselves, would be deceived.
Please join me in this short prayer. Oh God, help us to know the difference between life and death, and let our lives be the sweet fragrance of life, an encouragement to those who are alive in Messiah. In Yeshua’s name. Amen.